Here lately I’ve been digging the nutty, chewy texture and taste of brown rice. It’s a good thing, too because brown rice has some health benefits not necessarily found in white rice.

We know that white rice is a staple in Asian food. But, brown rice in Asian countries is considered a sign of poverty and that is probably why white rice proliferates in Asia. Calorie and carbohydrate wise brown and white rice pretty much match each other. The difference between the two kinds of rice is how they are processed. White rice has several outer layers removed, and as a result some of the vitamins, fiber, bran and bran oil that may help reduce LDL cholesterol are also removed. Brown rice is an especially good source for magnesium. (White rice is usually vitamin enriched here in the States.)

So, what many of you may not know is on Monday we were hit by a super type of severe thunderstorm with straight line winds that reached 88 MPH…that’s in excess of hurricane strength winds. We were without power for almost 30 hours as were my parents. Yesterday morning Daddy called and said he had some blackened salmon fillets that needed to be grilled since they had thawed when the power was out. He asked if we would like some. Tall & Handsome of course jumped on that opportunity because he loves salmon.

The next step was what to have on short notice with grilled blackened salmon? T & H pulled out a Weber cook book and thumbed through it, paused and asked, “Hey did you know you can make brown rice salad?”

Uh, no…

So after inspection, and teamwork we came up with our own version we preferred and we will certainly make again. Yummy and healthy. How can you beat that?

Brown Rice and Cashew Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

1 1/2 cups brown rice

3 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup carrot straws (find these in the prepackaged section of the produced section at the grocery store)

3 green onions, washed, trimmed and chopped at an angle

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup coarsely chopped cashews

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)

1 teaspoon lime zest

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add brown rice and return to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until rice is tender.

2. Drain rice and rinse with cold water. Shake off any excess liquid and place rice in a large bowl.